The Eyes Have It
Have you found yourself in front of a mirror lately tugging at your eyebrows or temples to find your younger looking self? Do you like the way you look but wish that you could say goodbye to issues that make you look angry, exhausted, and older than you actually feel? If you’ve been keeping an eye out for ways to take care of some of these things, you need look no further.
focus on:
EYE BAGS
Puffy bags that have set up camp under your eyes can be caused by thinning of the skin, lost elasticity, fluid retention, and the effect of gravity on the fatty deposits around your eye sockets (these deposits are actually there to help protect your eyes).
what to do:
If it’s just some puffiness from a hangover or lack of sleep, then try a cooling under eye mask or frozen green tea bags placed over the eyes for a few minutes. If it’s due to allergies, take something for allergies. Skin tightening treatments and creams can help,too, even Preparation H. But if it’s a chronic eye bag issue, a cosmetic procedure called blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) might be in order. During this procedure, a plastic surgeon can reposition the fat so it lays flatter.
focus on:
FINE LINES OR CROW’S FEET
Wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes are caused by a breakdown in collagen and elasticity due to aging, sun damage, and smoking, as well as repeated facial movements and dehydration.
what to do:
“The best way that someone can smooth the skin around their eyes is to prevent lines and wrinkles from forming in the first place,” says Joel Schlessinger, MD, FAAD, FAACS. He suggests proper sun protection, adequate hydration, and a great moisturizer every day. “The next best way is to treat [the wrinkles] once they have formed.”
For starters, Retin-A can definitely help with fine lines and crow’s feet, says Robert Grant, MD, Plastic Surgeon in Chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He also suggests a temporary liquid silicone application to keep the skin taut for a few hours. Beyond skin tightening, collagen boosting topicals, you can opt for wrinkle relaxing injectables such as Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin.
In office procedures that smooth and tighten the skin around the eyes include Pelleve Skin Tightening and Ultherapy, said Schlessinger. For deeper lines, fillers such as Restylane Silk and Restalyne Lyft provide good results, though Schlessinger notes you should take care in choosing the injector, as skill is what counts.
focus on:
DARK CIRCLES
Common causes of dark circles under your eyes include thinning of the skin that allows blood vessels to show through, genetics (thanks), or hyper pigmentation.
what to do:
Try using a concealer with a yellowish hue that is a couple shades lighter than your skin, mix it with a touch of loose powder, and gently tap it in under your eye using your ring finger. If it’s hyper pigmentation, lasers such as IPL or topicals with bleaching agents can work to lighten the darker colored pigment. If it’s genetic and you’re dealing with thin, sagging skin, injectables such as Restylane, Juvederm, and Voluma XC can help. Again, practice caution when choosing an injector for super sensitive areas around the eyes.
